Talida Prime: Fading Suns
by IceGirl2772
Summary: Sequel to Talida Prime: Rising Storms. After the destruction of both the Omega Lock and their base, the Autobots are separated and on the run. Smokescreen and Talida remain to tend to the slowly dying Optimus. Will Optimus survive? Will the Autobots stand to fight another day? Or will everyone give up and let the Decepticons win? Optimus/Arcee Jack/Miko Bumblebee/OC 4th in series
1. Smouldering

**I am BACK in the series that started the whole Talida Prime franchise! YEAH, BABY!**

**When I completed ****_Strange Beginnings_**** – I know, so sad – I said that ****_Fading Suns _****was next on my list. A lot of people assumed it's the sequel to ****_Strange Beginnings_****. I'm here to tell you it's not. ****_Talida Prime: Fading Suns_**** is the sequel to ****_Talida Prime: Rising Storms_****, which is the sequel to ****_Talida Prime: Fading Light_****, which is the sequel to ****_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness_****. OK? It's the fourth story in the series of MAYBE seven. Depending on what I decide. If you want the sequel to ****_Strange Beginnings_****, you may want to read ****_Parallel Centres_****…when I post it. **

**This is the short prelude…you know, the opening scene of ****_Darkmount, NV_****. What? I have to do SOMETHING to make the story seem long. Especially since I'm going by the ad breaks and I'm doing the first four episodes of the series.**

**_Transformers: Prime_**** rightfully belongs to Hasbro and The Hub.**

**© Talida and other OCs rightfully belong to me unless I say otherwise.**

**And so…for the first time, I shall say this in the story that begins with a very short chapter.**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

It all began on Cybertron. All those centuries ago, that was where it all began. When one Cybertronian demanded conquest as a means of creating an equal Cybertron, another protested, saying they could make Cybertron equal without the use of force.

Those ideals started the millennia-long war. The war that destroyed their world. After their home was lost, they moved worlds. They moved to Earth.

The Autobots, the good fraction, believed in a peaceful end to the war. However, countless times, they have proven that they will do what is necessary to end it. Many times, their leader came close to extinguishing the spark of the Decepticon warlord, thinking about the amount of times the warlord harmed his family. Particularly his spark mate and his daughter. But all those times, he let pass. His hopes for a peaceful end to the war outweighed the chances to kill his brother.

The Decepticons, the evil fraction, believed in conquest as a means to end a war. They had their claws buried deep in most – if not, _all_ – the Energon supplies on the planet. They had a warship filled with nothing but Cybertronian technology. An army of miners and warriors are constantly ready to follow the warlord's orders. Basically, in terms of technology and soldiers, the Decepticons had everything the Autobots didn't. Except for one thing: family.

And that was what led them here. That was what led them to Earth.

That was what led them to another home that was destroyed by war, grief and fire.

The Decepticon warlord, Megatron, stood over the burning remains pleased. The smoldering remains of the Autobot base were burning until there was nothing left. He had spent many years since the war was brought to Earth trying to discover the Autobot's base. The Autobots managed to hide their base well. Well, it may be because the Autobots had more to lose should the base be discovered.

It took Megatron and his army of Decepticons many years to find the base. And now…they found it. They found the base and destroyed it.

And hopefully, he destroyed the Autobot cause with it.

His army of Insecticons and foot soldiers scavenged the base with a fine toothcomb. They were on a mission to find any Cybertronian technology they had and, of course, the remains of the occupants who lived there for many years.

"LEAVE NO STONE UNTURNED!" Megatron ordered."

"Master."

Megatron turned around at the annoying voice approaching him from behind. Starscream, his untrustworthy second-in-command, was approaching him. Behind him, two foot soldiers held two captives. Found not far from the base.

"Look who we've pulled from the wreckage of their ships," Starscream began as he moved aside to reveal the new captives.

The first captive was an Autobot. One who formally served in an elite squad called the Wreckers. The Wreckers specialized in missions no one else would take. Essentially, they were the equivilant to Earth's 'Black Ops.' Very few Wreckers returned from each mission alive. Wheeljack was one of the lucky few.

The second captive was a techno-organic who could almost be considered a neutral. First, she was born into the Decepticons and loyal to the cause. After all, her father was the Decepticon warlord. However, after a certain event where her cousin, who was an Autobot, was stranded on Cybertron and almost killed by her father, she came to her senses and longed to side with the Autobots. That resulted in her supposed death.

"Wheeljack and Malita!"

"Impossible!" Megatron snarled at the second captive, "I killed you months ago!"

"Gonna have to try harder," Malita spat.

Megatron growled in anger.

"So one Autobot survived," Megatron mused, ignoring Malita for the timebeing, "Take our…_guests_ back to the citadel for questioning. Back to Darkmount."

As soon as he said the word Darkmount, Megatron gazed almost lovingly back at his new fortress. One that was comprised of Cyberformed matter from his attempt to Cyberform Earth with the use of a device called the Omega Lock, a device that could have been used to revive Cybertron. That is…until the Autobots destroyed the lock to save Earth after an intense battle with the Decepticons on their old home ground.

"This is the dawn of a new age, my liege! The reign of Megatron!" Starscream proclaimed.

"You do have a way with words, Starscream," Megatron couldn't help but compliment his second-in-command before turning back to his working troops, "Make haste! And unearth the Autobot corpses!"

Even with all the work the Decepticons were doing, even with the careful searching they were performing, they would miss one important thing in the rubble.

They would miss the dying frame of the Autobot leader.

They would miss the dying Optimus Prime.

* * *

**Dah dah DAAAAAAAAAAAH! Remember that pet sloth Belt from ****_The Croods_****? That's what inspired the 'Dah dah dah' bit.**

**It feels so good to be back with this. I'll post another chapter when I'm done with the first chapter of ****_Parallel Centres_****.**

**So you guys should know what to do now. Review. Fave. Alert. Whatever. You know what to do. **

**BYE!**


	2. Destruction

**Over 10 reviews in 24 hours?! SWEET!**

REVIEW REPLIES!

**AlphaTrion3145: What were you expecting?**

**The Warrior of Hope: I don't know yet. I'm still deciding. ;)**

**Neon: (1) You shouldn't have to. It follows the TV series.**

**(2) That's probably the better story anyway. **

**Megatronus117: Gotta love Blurr.**

**storygirl99210: Thanks!**

**PrincessofDreams123: Yes… What will happen?**

**haloangel21: That's what I'm thinking.**

**Awesomo3000: Dude, this is a stress reliever. **

**Everon Prime: I will. Don't worry.**

**Autobotgiel2234: Thanks.**

**Ninjabot01: It feels good to be back.******

**Luna Uchiha666: Hope no longer.**

**LordStarscream22: (1) Done.**

**(2) You don't have to order me around like a dog, you know.**

**Here we go again, everyone!**

**_Transformers: Prime_**** rightfully belongs to Hasbro and the Hub.**

**© Talida and other OCs rightfully belong to me unless I say otherwise. **

**ENJOY!**

* * *

The combing of the base wreckage continued for most of the day. With every minute that passed, Megatron grew more impatient. The flames have since extinguished. He wanted to see what the Autobots were hiding in the base. Also, he wanted to see the bodies of the fallen Autobots in the base.

He was about to be disappointed.

But he was also about to be surprised. The foot soldiers brought two objects to Megatron. The first object they brought him was the stasis pod that housed Airachnid, courtesy of Arcee and Talida all those months ago during their encounter in the Insecticon hive.

However, that wasn't what surprised him. What surprised him was the Forge of Solus Prime.

"THE FORGE OF SOLUS PRIME?!" Megatron boomed in disbelief, "How is it that you managed to materialize that?! Yet not the remains of any single Autobot?!"

"Answer your lord and master! WHERE ARE THEIR BODIES?!" Starscream snarled.

If the Decepticons thought about it, they would've looked deep underground.

* * *

Using the phase shifter, Smokescreen shoved a hand through the rock wall of a cave. Talida stood on his hand, sword out and ready, as she looked around the cave. After a few minutes, she disappeared as quickly as she appeared.

Not long after, Smokescreen walked fully into the cave dragging someone with him. He tried to be as gentle as possible with the person he rescued. However, the conditions of the cave didn't allow him to do so.

Smokescreen and Talida had returned to the base…

And rescued Optimus Prime from the rubble.

"You're hurt. But you probably look way worse than you feel," Smokescreen tried to make a joke, earning a glare from the teenage Prime.

Optimus made out some unintelligible mumbles and gasps as he went to face his rescuer. However, his teenage daughter, who decided to rest on his chest, stopped him from doing much gently.

"It's best if you don't move or talk, dad. Just power down for a little bit. You need to get your strength back. Don't worry. Smokescreen's got us covered," Talida promised.

The positive front wasn't going to last long. Talida knew this.

But she couldn't bear to tell her critically wounded father just how hopeless the situation was.

Their base was destroyed. The Autobots were divided and on the run. No communications. No first aid for Optimus. No Energon to sustain Optimus and Smokescreen. Not enough food and water to sustain Talida for long periods of time.

What can they do?

* * *

After finding everything they'll be able to find from the base, they left to return to Darkmount. Well…the foot soldiers did. Starscream and Megatron slowly walked away from the destroyed base to discuss some important issues concerning the Autobots and how they didn't find their remains in the wreckage.

"The Autobots clearly GroundBridged from their base before it was destroyed. They could be anywhere," Megatron opened the topic.

"We should initiate global surveillance, my lord," Starscream immediately suggested, "Send search and destroy teams to every sector of this planet."

Instead of responding to his second in command, Megatron opened a comm channel between himself and his spy chief, "Soundwave, monitor all Earth-based transmissions for any sign of Autobot communication. With each other or with their human counterparts."

"Master," Starscream began.

Megatron followed Starscream's line of sight towards the desert horizon and saw what he saw.

Fowler's call for backup when the Decepticons were attacking the base came through. Tanks rolled across the desert sand approaching the remains of the base and Darkmount. Fighter jets flew across the horizon following the tanks. For Starscream and Megatron, it didn't take long for them to realize their intentions.

"Foolish humans," Starscream grumbled, "I shall deploy the armada."

"That won't be necessary, Starscream. Not when we can engage our enemy with newfound might," Megatron smirked, gazing up at their new fortress.

The approaching members of the army were about to get the shock of their lives. The fortress they were approaching had four fusion canons; one on each side of the fortress to defend it from attacks from every direction. And they were about to have a massive test.

As the canons fired, no one from the military had time to retreat to safety. Every single jet and tank was drawn into an electric dome. Their machines destroyed. Their pilots killed instantly.

And then…it was expanded in one big bang. The incoming military force wasn't the only thing that the Decepticons destroyed that day.

They destroyed Jasper, Nevada.

* * *

**Damn, I'm good. **

**Another short one. I know. But remember. I'm going by when the screen goes black.**

**You guys should know what to do by now. Review. Fave. Alert. Whatever. **

**BYE!**


	3. Frustrations

**I'm already loving this story.**

**REVIEW REPLIES!**

**Megatronus117: I don't know if I should. You and Blurr would make a cute couple.**

**haloangel21: You know me, halo. The sooner, the better. ;) **

**No name blah: YOU HAD TO BRING IT UP?! I'M AN EMOTIONAL MESS AGAIN! **

**darkblackandlight86: There won't be many. This'll be a challenge. **

**Awesomo3000: I'll be taking several because next term at school's gonna be a bitch.**

**MonkeyGirl13: You just confused me there. There are two techno-organics in the series. **

**LordStarscream22: On it.**

**storygirl99210: They're not OK exactly. **

**dx-1118: Dude, seriously. LIMIT YOUR REVIEWS! One short paragraph is enough.**

**A writer's work is never done…**

**_Transformers: Prime_**** rightfully belongs to Hasbro and The Hub.**

**© Talida and other OCs rightfully belong to me unless I say otherwise. **

**ENJOY!**

* * *

From his throne in Darkmount, Megatron could see the devastation he caused. All the fighter jets and tanks that were once approaching the citadel to attack were nothing but small pillars of flame and smoke all across the desert plane. Jasper, Nevada, the 'Entertainment Capital of the World', was nothing but a lifeless pit.

However, he wasn't interested in the damage caused by his own hand. Instead, he was engaged in a conversation with Agent Fowler.

"A new power dominates your world. Any further attempts to attack me will be met with even greater force. Your leaders should be advised that my fusion cannons have enough firepower to decimate any densely populated area of my choosing," Megatron warned, "_I would most likely set sights on your nation's capital for starters._"

"Point taken. Now what do you want from us?" Fowler demanded, clearly angered by the Decepticon warlord.

"_Nothing, Agent Fowler. The Decepticons mean no harm to humanity._ We merely desire a place to call home," Megatron said easily.

"_No offense, Megatron. But I'm having a tough time swallowing all this._ Since you seem so bent on blistering humankind under molten steel," Fowler retorted, slamming his fist into his desk.

"_Agent Fowler_, I admit that war brings out the worse in me. But the conflict with the Autobots is now over. And our quarrel has never been with your kind. Now that the one true enemy of the Decepticons is no more, my only wish is to co-exist on this planet with the human race peacefully," Megatron lied smoothly, "_Together, Agent Fowler, I believe that you and I can make that dream a reality._"

With those words said, Megatron terminated the transmission between them. Standing up, he walked away from his throne towards the edge of the floor. Starscream was quick to follow him.

"You too have a way with words, master," Starscream complimented him, "I almost believed you myself."

Megatron chuckled darkly before saying, "Earth is now our planet, Starscream. And we shall finish what we started. Humankind has no idea what lies ahead for them."

* * *

Not long after his conversation with Megatron, Fowler got another call. Not a secondary one from the Decepticon warlord. But from his own superiors. From General Bryce.

"Yes, General Bryce. Special containment protocol G-1000 has been executed as planned. Evacuation of Jasper, Nevada was 100% successful. As far as its civilians and the media are concerned, the threat was a meteor shower and the town is under quarantine until the resulting radiation levels can be dissipated," Fowler explained, crying out at the next suggestion General Bryce threw at him, "Sir, any form of retaliation would be too risky. I just need more time! …Yes, I understand."

In frustration, he slammed the phone into the receiver and slumped into his chair. Now, Fowler could see why Talida never got along well with the general. And why she had punched him all those months ago at their last briefing together. Honestly, he didn't know why he hadn't done that long before she came into the picture.

He didn't have time to laminate on everything, however. A few seconds later, the office door opened and June Darby stormed in, all business in her hospital scrubs and a file under her arm. It made Fowler realize that June wasn't seeing him as his girlfriend. But rather a nurse under his command caring for those who were wounded during the evacuation of Jasper before Megatron destroyed the town.

"Agent Fowler, those medical supplies still haven't arrived," June informed him, "We have wounded men who need-."

"Doing the best I can, Nurse Darby!" Fowler snapped, standing up and pacing once again, "Been a little busy juggling a bunch of nuke-happy generals who don't seem to care if they blow Nevada sky high and a Decepticon warlord who wants to make nice now that the Autobots are in the scrapyard! Megatron's opinion, not mine! He's feeding me a load of horse plucky! Trying to crush our spirits!"

"Still no word… from anyone?" June asked nervously.

That question alone caused Fowler to glance back at her in worry. It made him realize that she wasn't asking this question as a nurse. But as a worried mother. Jack, Talida, Miko, Raf; none of them or the Autobots have been heard from since before Jack, Miko and Raf were kidnapped and taken to Cybertron by Megatron. Before they could get to them, the Decepticons blew up the Autobot base. Now, they don't know for sure if they're still alive.

"Listen. No contact only tells me that the main commlink went down when the base was pounded into pancake batter," Fowler tried to reassure her.

"But if I could just call Jack or Talida," June began as she stepped forward.

"You know it's too risky. So do the bots," Fowler objected, "The 'Cons can trace any cell phone signal."

"Then take me home," June requested, "If Jack or Talida can't call, that's where they'll look for me."

"Jasper's under 'Con lockdown. Nobody's getting back in there," Fowler immediately put his foot down, turning to face the window, "The only ones who can fix this mess are Prime and his bots. I'm sure they're out there keeping a low profile. They gotta be."

* * *

Upon realising that the Autobots were never in the base when it was destroyed, a massive manhunt was launched by the Decepticons in an attempt to search for them.

One of the first places the drones searched as a busy highway a few states away from Nevada. In the drone's computer programming were schematics of what each Autobot's vehicle mode looked like so they could easily spot them in a busy crowd. So far, they haven't heard any radio chatter about them or their human friends. So they resorted to visual comparison.

"Scanning," the drone reported as he scanned cars on the highway that closely resembled any of their Autobot enemies.

They included a car that closely resembled Bulkhead's SUV, a truck that resembled Optimus' Peterbilt Semi and a car that, if the colours were reversed, could resemble a certain bumblebee-patterend custom-made muscle car.

"Negative. No Autobot recognition," the drone decreed before flying away.

Once it was clear, the black and yellow muscle car pulled over under the shade of a tree. Automatically, it opened its door to reveal Raf in the driver's seat, revealing that the muscle car really was Bumblebee.

"Clear," Raf sighed in relief, jumping out of the car to allow Bumblebee to transform.

"**The 'Cons are on the lookout for us. Man, that was close**," Bumblebee remarked, pulling some branches aside to glance at the skies.

"Too close. But your paintjob did the trick," Raf said, packing some books into his bag.

"**Bumblebee to any Autobots out there. Can anybody hear me?**" Bumblebee tried, earning no response, "**Still nothing.**"

"The comm's uplink is still down," Raf sighed, "Dad, I realize that Optimus sent us all to different locations to make us harder for the 'Cons to find. But if we don't know where in the world everyone else went, how are _we_ gonna find them?"

"**Everybody's going to be heading to common ground. We just have to keep going towards Jasper,**" Bumblebee told him.

"Right. Just keep heading towards Jasper," Raf agreed hesitantly, "Towards Megatron's giant fortress. Towards the place mum told us not to look back from."

"**Raf, we're going to see Tally again. She's not going to give up on us that easily. So we're not going to give up on her. Til death do we part. Remember?**" Bumblebee buzzed some of the vows they took that day only a month ago.

"Yeah. Right," Raf nodded.

It would have to take a lot more than the destruction of the base and being on the run from Decepticons in different locations on the planet to separate the Autobots.

At least, Raf hope that was the case.

* * *

In the Rockies, Bulkhead and Miko weren't having much luck on their end. Both of them were constantly on edge. Bulkhead was more antsy than Miko. Constantly looking out for any kind of trouble.

"I never knew there were so many Rockies," Miko sighed.

Letting her boredom get to her, she took out her cell phone and began hitting some buttons. That caused a red flag to be raised in Bulkhead's mind.

"MIKO!" Bulkhead roared, stopping so fast that Miko was jerked forward in her seat, "No cell phone! You know the rules!"

"Dude, I wasn't calling anyone! Just playing a video game I already downloaded!" Miko defended herself, showing the phone screen to Bulkhead's steering wheel to prove her point.

"Sorry. I guess I'm a little on edge," Bulkhead apologized sheepishly before continuing along the highway.

"Where are we headed anyway, Bulk? You got some sort of plan?" Miko wanted to know.

"We're following standard Wrecker protocol," Bulkhead answered.

"Which is…?" Miko trailed off.

"An emergency plan we followed during the war in case any Wrecker got stranded or separated from the unit. We'd always rendezvous with the exact same coordinates. It helped a lot when we were separated while trying to rescue Rayna in the war's early days. If Jackie's still alive, he'll be there," Bulkhead explained.

It was silence between them after the brief conversation of soothing worries. Miko continued playing her video game, letting out occasional cries of frustration if she was hit or she got a game over. But Bulkhead saw through the façade. He knew she was worried. About Jack. About Talida. Hell. She's even worried about Raf.

Bulkhead was worried as well. About Optimus. About Arcee. About Bumblebee. Hell. Even Ratchet and he was a grouchy pain-in-the-butt most of the time. And Cayden. He cannot forget the almost year-old sparkling. He was too young for this. And his goddaughter. He was worried about Talida the most. She was all he had left of Rayna and he would die if he lost her.

But he still kept his mind on the mission. Head to the rendezvous point. Meet up with Wheeljack. Then they would continue their search for the other Autobots.

If they're still alive.

* * *

However, Wheeljack wasn't going to be at the rendezvous point waiting for him. Instead, he was being treated to an interrogation under Starscream's claws.

"Don't stop now. I was just beginning to enjoy myself," Wheeljack smirked, despite himself.

"Wheeljack, it would be wise not to joke around," Malita warned him.

Thanks to her many years under the Decepticons, she knew how ruthless a lot of them were when it came to capturing and interrogating their Autobot captives. Starscream, despite being a coward, was a brilliant strategist and dangerous to mess with. Especially during an interrogation. She had seen it all.

At least…she hoped she had seen it all.

However, from her position pinned to the surgical table with Energon bonds, watching as Starscream tortured Wheeljack, who was hovering mid-air in the centre of the room with the Energon bonds holding him up, she began to doubt it.

"Believe me, Wheeljack. There is more where that came from. And you will tell me the location of your compatriots!" Starscream snarled, dragging the prod across Wheeljack's chassis in a painful manner, "No matter what it takes or how long."

"Like I told you, they weren't expecting me. They never bothered to fill me in," Wheeljack repeated for the thousandth time during the interrogation, "So go ahead. Knock yourself out."

Despite the Energon that was dripping from the corner of his mouth, Wheeljack smirked. He knew how far Starscream could go during his interrogations. Honestly, he liked pushing his buttons.

But he couldn't shake off the feeling that soon, Starscream was going to make him eat his words and he should have heeded Malita's not-so-discreet warnings while he had the chance.

* * *

Inside the citadel, Megatron had another matter to deal with.

And this matter involved utilizing Knock Out's talents.

"How may I serve you, Lord Megatron?" Knock Out asked, bowing towards his master.

"Assemble a team and disembark for Cybertron immediately," Megatron instructed, "While hunting Autobots remains paramount, we must not squander any opportunity to recover any Autobot relics left behind in the chaos. For all we know, Optimus Prime is out there somewhere planning to do the same."

If only Megatron knew just exactly where Optimus was and exactly what he was doing at the present time.

* * *

Talida had never been one for prayer. She never saw the necessity of it, being in the middle of a war with seemingly no hope. But with her father's life in the balance, it seemed like a good time.

"I know it all seems hopeless when the girl who doesn't believe in praying begins to prayer," Smokescreen's laugh was without humor.

"I never believed in it," Talida murmured, "But now, it's all I have."

"Not with me around," Smokescreen vowed.

Before Talida could open her mouth to say anything, a groan interrupted them. Turning around, they saw Optimus beginning to awaken from his power down.

"Dad!" Talida cried in relief as she gently climbed onto his chassis.

"It's OK, Optimus. It's us. Smokescreen and Talida," Smokescreen reassured him.

"How did… I get here?" Optimus asked weakly.

"That was my fault," Talida confessed sheepishly, "I told him to turn back."

"When we were driving away from the base, just as the 'Cons opened fire, it was our turn to GroundBridge away. We couldn't do it. We knew what was going to happen and didn't want to leave you to face Megatron's army alone. So we snuck back. But that was when the blast hit and the whole joint came tumbling down. I managed to pull you from the wreckage before the 'Cons dove in with the phase shifter, which I managed to snag during all the confusion back on Cybertron," Smokescreen explained, "Um, we're sorry we defied your orders."

"He may be sorry. But I'm not," Talida retorted.

"We're safe here," Smokescreen reassured the two, "But we're down so deep, no one can pick up our signals. I'll have to scout above ground if we're gonna have any hope of finding Ratchet."

"No. I'll go," Talida objected, digging through her backpack for her hover board.

"No," Optimus objected, "No hope."

"What do you mean?! The doc's the only one who can patch you up!" Smokescreen objected.

The only response they got was in the form of his labored breathing.

"Dad?!" Talida called gently.

She couldn't believe that all hope was lost already. She refused to believe it.

* * *

In an abandoned warehouse depo, all was quiet. Except for the hum of an engine. And the worries of a Jasper teenager.

"What if Jasper wasn't evacuated in time?" Jack rambled as he removed his helmet and climbed off his pregnant guardian, "She could have been hurt! Or taken by the 'Cons!"

"Jack," Arcee tried to say.

"And even if she did get out, she's gotta be worried out of her mind not knowing where I am!" Jack continued.

"Jack! Calm down," Arcee tried to sooth him as she transformed, "We'll get back to Jasper, find to reach your mother and the rest of the team."

"What about Lida?!" Jack continued to ramble, "Knowing her, she'd find a way to escape Smokescreen because she won't leave Optimus to face them alone! I can't feel anything in the bond! How do I know she's alive?!"

"You just have to have faith," was all Arcee said gently, resting her hand on her stomach.

It was then that Jack remembered why Arcee was so calm about everything. She had to remain calm for the sake of the sparkling she was carrying. The last thing they needed was another risky delivery like the one they had with Cayden last year.

Then they heard the sound of an engine humming in the distance. Looking over the dark and cloudy horizon, Arcee saw a helicopter flying in the sky. Immediately, her instincts were high.

"Wait here. Could be a 'Con on our tail," was all Arcee said before she took off.

Now that he was alone, Jack could ponder the inner turmoil he was having. Immediately, he took out his cell phone and went through his contacts. Instead of going through his contacts alphabetically, he went through the order of when he last contacted them.

After scrolling past Arcee, Ratchet and Talida, he reached his mother. She was the one he wanted to contact the most. Sure. He wanted to contact Talida and Miko. But Talida would kill him for breaking protocol and Miko would be killed by Bulkhead for trying to respond. His mother was the safest bet. But still, he couldn't do it.

"Sorry, mum. I'd call if I could," Jack promised before giving in to temptation, "One text couldn't hurt, could it?"

If only he knew how much it would hurt.

* * *

Soundwave was doing as he told as he maintained his post aboard the Nemesis. He was monitoring all frequencies for any chatter between the Autobots and their human friends, as per Megatron's instructions after the realization was made.

He struck gold when a signal popped up on the map of America he was monitoring. As Jack's picture appeared on the screen, Starscream just happened to appear.

"Master!" Starscream called over the commlink.

It didn't take long for Megatron to figure out why Starscream was disturbing him. They have found one of the Autobots or one of their human companions. Inwardly, the warlord couldn't help but think that today was a good day.

"Send in the troops," Megatron instructed as he rose from his throne in Darkmount, "And Soundwave, I want a live feed."

With those words said, Megatron transformed into his vehicle form of a Cybertronian jet and flew from the safety of Darkmount towards the Nemesis.

He wanted to witness this one.

Soundwave was quick to dispatch his trusted Laserbeak. The drone flew off Soundwave's chest and immediately began its journey to Jack's location.

The teenager had no idea what was coming.

* * *

June was in one of the stock rooms filling her first aid bag with some materials. Fowler came through with his promise of having medical supplies delivered. They had arrived not long ago and June was quick unpacking and sorting them.

She continued the task until she heard her phone beep, indicating a text message. When she read who it was from, she gasped excitedly.

"Jack!" June gasped, already going to open the text, "With Arcee. Safe. Love you."

As if her son was right there telling her that he was alive and safe, she hugged her cell phone, trying to hold on to the feeling.

Then she realized that she had to tell Fowler the good news. So leaving her medical bag behind, she left the room, darting towards Fowler's office, crying in joy,

"William! Agent Fowler! Jack's alive!"

It was the first sign of hope she had since the Decepticons destroyed the base. Nothing would take that from her.

* * *

Jack did nothing to hide his smile as the arrow and envelope filled his screen. The text he sent his mum had gone through. But as he closed his phone and slid it back into his pocket, he couldn't help but feel the guilt settle in his stomach. When they began their journey on the run, one of the first rules Arcee told him was the fact that he wasn't allowed to contact anybody. Not even the others. Megatron would be monitoring the frequencies for any Autobot contact.

He began praying that the Decepticons didn't pick up his frequency and his location because he sent a simple text message to ease his mother's worries.

The swooshing planes above him told him otherwise.

"Scrap," Jack cursed.

If the incoming Decepticon troop members didn't kill him in this battle, Arcee certainly will.

* * *

**Now, a chapter that's a little bit longer for your enjoyment. It took me a day to write. Because my stomach's finally starting to get better! YAY!**

**OK. You guys should know the drill by now. Review. Fave. Alert. Whatever. Now, I gotta jump over to ****_Parallel Centres_****.**

**Also, for some reason, you know how you get emails when you post a story, when someone reviews your story, follows them or you and adds them or you to their favourites? I'm not getting those emails anymore. I actually have to check the stories to see if anybody's reviewed. Can someone tell me how to fix that if there's a way? **

**BYE!**


	4. Returns

**We're back, baby!**

REVIEW REPLIES!

**AlphaTrion3145: ****_Raf's Talida and Bee's son, doesn't that make him a T-O?_**

**_Amelia 'Horizon' Trion: If he is, how come his eye's aren't Blue? _**

**Raf's eyes are green because while he does have a Cybertronian bloodline, he won't exhibit the same Cybertronian powers his mother and second cousin has.**

**haloangel21: ****_My heart broke when I heard Optimus say, "No hope." :c_**

**I had to relive the emotions… I need a hug.**

**Awesomo3000: ****_One of the saddest parts of the episode, and it is written beautifully by you once again! :) As for your question, I'm not sure. But it's been happening to a few users and the site is trying to fix it._**

**_Also, will Talida get along with Ultra Magnus or not really?_**

**She doesn't interact with him that much during this story. If you wanna know, you'll have to find out next story. As for the email thing, I realized that gmail marked all the emails from this site as spam and sent them to my spam folder. When I fixed it to make it not spam, it worked normally. **

**Azul the blue: ****_:P_**

**_OMGSH THAT'S IT?!_**

**_GRRR…_**

**_CLIFFHANGER! _**

**Yeppers…**

**winxpromeolivia: ****_winxprimeolivia:SQUEEEEEEEEEEAL! SHE IS BACK AND AWESOMER THAN EVER!_**

**_YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY BOOYAH! THIS IS AWESOME!_**

**Glad to see you're enjoying it.**

**Here we go, guys! WHOO!**

**_Transformers: Prime_**** rightfully belong to Hasbro and The Hub.**

**© Talida and other OCs rightfully belong to me unless I say otherwise.**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

When the jet began opening fire on Jack, he acted on his instinct to run for his life. Behind him, explosions and chaos were hot on his heels.

He began praying that Arcee would notice the chaos and come back fast. Heck. He'd even take the lecture he knew he'd get when she finds out this happened.

Arcee sped down the road with her holoform activated like there was no tomorrow. When she reached a suitable hiding place – a reasonably-sized bounder – she transformed into her bipedal mode and crouched behind the rock, blaster unfolded and ready to fire.

To her relief, the helicopter wasn't a threat. It was a regular helicopter.

"Civilian," Arcee sighed in relief, rubbing her stomach as her daughter kicked, "Why is it that every time I get sparked, something happens that causes Optimus and I to be separated?"

Then she heard explosions behind her. They almost sounded like fireworks. However, she knew that this wasn't the time of year for fireworks.

Glancing back at the warehouse depo she left Jack, her optics widened in horror. There was smoke coming from some of the warehouses. There were flashes. And…the popping was gunfire.

"JACK!" Arcee cried.

Even Optimus would marvel at how fast she transformed and took off.

* * *

Jack grunted as he narrowly avoided some shots fired at him from above. Looking up, he desperately searched for the Decepticon fighter, hoping that he managed to shake him off somewhere in the massive complex of warehouses.

"I am so toast!" Jack panted as he began climbing the fence in front of them.

Looking above and behind him, he saw not one but two Decepticon jets. As he straddled the fence, it was the last thing he needed as they opened fire once again. One of the shots hit a little too close to home for Jack and the force of the shot knocked him over the fence and into the grass outside of it.

Realizing that he was underneath a relay tower, he began running, knowing that one of the first things the Decepticons would attempt would be to shoot the tower down. And he was right. They began shooting at the legs of the tower. Jack barely managed to roll away in time before he was crushed by the twisted metal.

Looking above him, he found out that the situation was going to get even worse. Not only were the Decepticon fighters after him.

Laserbeak was there as well.

"Smile, Jack. You're on Decepticon TV," Jack joked as he hid behind a wall.

_"Master, we have a visual," Starscream reported as Megatron entered the room._

Seeing Laserbeak approach him ready to fire, Jack took off running once again. He began thinking about the last time he had to run for his life like this. Insecticons were chasing him and Talida in a forest as the Decepticons unearthed another Iacon relic which turned out to be the Star Saber, since been destroyed.

Seeing a nearby truck, he immediately dove underneath it, hoping for cover. However, he forgot something. With their firepower, they could destroy the truck.

And that was what they did.

Now they had a clear line of sight, the Decepticons began opening fire again. Using his arms and legs to slide himself backwards, Jack tried to escape them. But it wouldn't have mattered how far he ran or how much he evaded them. They would still find him and they would still kill him at the end of the day.

He had never been so thankful for Arcee in his life until now.

Arcee transformed in front of him and performed a flip, scooping him into her arms mid-flip. Depositing him safely on the ground, she began returning fire.

_"How long does it take to exterminate one lowly Autobot and her human pet?!" Megatron demanded impatiently. _

_"Well, in my experience," Starscream began answering._

_"NOT A RIDDLE, STARSCREAM!" Megatron snapped._

_"Sorry," Starscream apologized sheepishly._

_He really should have known better._

Arcee glanced around eagerly. The Decepticon fighters would keep coming back and they weren't going to go down easily. She needed a plan. A smart plan. Then…she saw a nearby petrol station and remembered the 'small' accident that occurred during the battle between Wheeljack and Dreadwing the Autobots stumbled upon.

Perfect.

"Let's go!" Arcee cried.

Quickly, Jack and Arcee rode towards the petrol station, ready to launch their plan. Arcee transformed into her bipedal mode as soon as they arrived, forgetting that Jack was on her back. Fortunately, Talida trained him in how to land himself should an event like this occur in the middle of a raging battle.

"Not the best cover," Jack remarked as they hid behind the fuel dispensers.

"We're not here to hide," Arcee smirked.

It was here that Jack realized what Arcee was intending to do. And he loved it.

As predicted, the two Decepticon fighters transformed into their bipedal modes and landed in front of the petrol station, blasters unfolded and fully charged. When they saw Jack standing there with a smirk on his face and two objects in each hand, they realized something was wrong.

"Hey, guys! Unleaded or diesel?!" Jack asked rhetorically.

Looking down, they saw both kinds of fuel staining the floor of the petrol station. They slowly began to realize what was going on as Jack dropped the hoses and ran towards a van that just happened to be nearby. However, by the time they fully grasped what was about to happen, it was too late for them to do anything.

Arcee appeared from behind the van, blaster at the ready and fired.

The two Decepticon fighters, Laserbeak and the petrol station were engulfed in the massive explosion that followed. The two barely managed to hide behind the van and grasp each other in time before the force of the explosion began to spread.

"Let's roll before they send reinforcements," Arcee suggested as she transformed, leaving no room for argument.

Arcee was stationary long enough for Jack to climb on and slide on his helmet. However, as soon as he grasped the handles, they were out of there.

They prayed that Fowler could cover up the blown up petrol station later.

* * *

Meanwhile, Knock Out was currently acting on his own orders from Megatron. He had a team of Vehicons and Insecticons assembled and they travelled to Cybertron. Specifically, they travelled to the sight of the last battle: the ruins of the Omega Lock, destroyed by Optimus and Talida in the hope of them saving Planet Earth.

"Come on, fellas! Put your backs into it!" Knock Out growled impatiently as the Vehicons worked, approaching them when the Vehicons found something, "The Apex Armor. Our illustrious leader will be pleased. Now any sign of that phase shifter? I really liked that thing."

"Sir!" one of the Vehicons cried.

At first, Knock Out was confused. Then he followed the Vehicon's line of sight.

And he couldn't believe it.

"By the AllSpark!"

* * *

Megatron and Starscream watched over Soundwave's shoulders as the spy tried his hardest to revive his precious Laserbeak. Or, at least, retrieve his data. However, any attempts were unsuccessful. They will never fully know what happened during the battle or where Arcee and Jack were headed afterwards.

"Well, did any of the surveillance data survive?!" Megatron asked impatiently.

"A shame," Starscream sighed when no result was yielded, "We might have at least learned the direction Arcee and the human fled."

"Clearly, we need to improve our methods of hunting Autobots and build upon the tactical advantage we managed to secure," Megatron mused.

It was at this time Knock Out decided to radio in with his findings.

"_Lord Megatron, I am ready to return to Darkmount. And I'm certain you'll want to see what I've uncovered._"

"Soundwave, open a Space Bridge portal," Megatron instructed.

Soundwave immediately retracted his mechanical arms and obeyed Megatron. His visor clearly displayed a Space Bridge being locked on and activated. Before long, a portal appeared before them and Knock Out was walking through it.

"I find myself in urgent need of good news. So please, Knock Out. Tell me that you've found something useful," Megatron requested.

"Some _things_, my liege, and some_one_," Knock Out corrected, stepping aside.

At that moment, the someone he found walked through the portal. And that someone made Starscream gasp and tremble in fear.

"He lives?!" Starscream gasped in disbelief.

The person who walked through the portal after Knock Out was someone everyone in the Decepticon cause would be able to recognise.

After all, how many one-eyed mad scientists who enjoy utilising logic do they have in their employ?

"Shockwave," Megatron chuckled in joy at the new prospect being presented before him, "Just the tactical advantage we need."

With Shockwave in the house, things were bound to turn into their favor.

* * *

**DUN DUN DUN! SHOCKWAVE'S HERE! WE'RE ALL SCREWED!**

**And that, officially, marks the end of the ****_Darkmount, NV_**** arc of the story. Next chapter marks the beginning of the ****_Shattered_**** arc of the story. If things weren't serious before, they certainly will be now.**

**You guys should know what to do by now. Review. Fave. Alert. Whatever.**

**BYE!**


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